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For those of you wondering what the heck Yuki wrote in the strange encrypted note written in numbers....

It's a 80s thing. You see, people used to send messages using pagers (Pocket Bells).
Here's the table for the codes.

However, the last 01004 doesn't apply to this code list.
It comes from pager abbriviations based on phonetic reading of the numbers, for often-used phrase or places (such as train stations)
0 from 丸 (circle) and reads "ma", 10 from english number ten and reads "te", 4 for chinese number ś and reads "su".

It was annoyingly inefficient system, but it was a fad during the pocket bell (pager) era.

Guh...I really need the sub to know what is going on with the manager and Touya...not the "I will go out with you instead" thing but the other topic of conversation centered around Rina. Some bad publicity/rumor?

Though I did catch the part when Touya got angry about Rina's brother having one on one time with Yuki

And even though I know it is wrong...I'm rather captivated by the manager myself, I guess her way of seduction works on weak males like me as I find her irresistibly hot (surely Touya felt the same way everytime he took mental close ups of her lips...her sweet sweet lips...). Frankly I can't blame him for a moment of weakness and he did do wrong in ignoring Yuki's phone call.

As for the others, only book girl got some more focus and it doesn't look good...poor girl being bullied by her colleagues and was given all the work. What a bunch of assholes. But she calls Touya at the end of the episode to ask for help...

Pimp sense is tingling

We will see how this will turn out (as you can be 100% certain that book girl with fall deeper in love with him after this "arc").

^Well, for one, he does look dashingly handsome.
I don't remember him being mentioned to be so ikemen in the original game (which you never saw his face)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

ep 5

Spoiler:

Guh...I really need the sub to know what is going on with the manager and Touya...not the "I will go out with you instead" thing but the other topic of conversation centered around Rina. Some bad publicity/rumor?

Spoiler:

The producer insinuated he ran out of cigaretts, and Rina went and bought some for him from the vending machine. But the producer had a cameraman waiting at the vending machine, and took pictures of her (then under aged to be smoking, not to mention the idol image of being pure and clean) buying cigaretts from the machine, and sold the photos to the tabloids.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

Very NICE pic!

Thing is... was Zettai Ryouiki even 'on fashion' during the 80's in Japan? XD

The word zettai ryouiki wasn't around, but the fashion definitly weren't absent.
Go take a look at Annis from Borgman, anime series in 1988.

I personally wanted to learn more about Yayoi's path, so I'm glad they decided to have a bit of focus on Yayoi in Ep. 5. I don't think they'll make the anime ending focussing on her, though, so I won't be holding my breath.

Even so, I'd like to know if those who have played the game can tell me more about her. Is the way she "seduced" Touya and the way she offered to pay him what the Japanese call the female version of "Enjo Kousai" (compensated dating) AKA "wakari"?

I'm also interested if there is indeed a "good ending" with her in the original game. The way she acted in this episode makes me wonder if she's one of those poor souls for whom love is just an illusion--she can go through the motions and the words, but might her intent be utterly heartless? Such a "love is only an act" mindset is one of the hallmarks of a narcissistic or psychopathic personality.

I suppose I'll learn more when the subbed version of Ep. 5 gets out.

Misaki's next on the roll, and I do suppose she's got her charms; she isn't as needy or fickle as Yuki, isn't as "hard to get" as Rina (I get the feeling she'd just as likely put a leash around Touya's neck and call him her "boy toy" as date him), isn't as casual as Haruka is, and probably nowhere near as frightening to Touya as Yayoi was in this episode. In essence I think it's likely she'd be a comfort to Touya than a strain or a worry; there's a feeling of "welcome home" around her.

Are the anime VAs going to voice the PS3 version of White Album? When they make the 18+ PC version (and it's pretty likely they will) changing the voice talent to those who don't mind making (censored) noises could alienate the fans greatly.

Misaki's next on the roll, and I do suppose she's got her charms; she isn't as needy or fickle as Yuki, isn't as "hard to get" as Rina (I get the feeling she'd just as likely put a leash around Touya's neck and call him her "boy toy" as date him), isn't as casual as Haruka is, and probably nowhere near as frightening to Touya as Yayoi was in this episode. In essence I think it's likely she'd be a comfort to Touya than a strain or a worry; there's a feeling of "welcome home" around her.

Well, imo, Misaki seems to be prone to emotional breakdowns. And that can lead to dangerous situations.

Are the anime VAs going to voice the PS3 version of White Album? When they make the 18+ PC version (and it's pretty likely they will) changing the voice talent to those who don't mind making (censored) noises could alienate the fans greatly.

Yes I'm pretty sure it's been confirmed that the Anime VA will be providing their voices for the PS3 version.

However The 18+ PC version was already made, while it would be nice if they remade it I don't think a remake of the 18+ version was scheduled. Personally I don't see why they'd bother to remake it now especially since I'm sure the All age PS3 version will do series enough Justice, plus I highly doubt the Va's for the Anime would be willing to provide the voices for the 18+ version anyway.

Besides can you honestly picture Aya Hirano making those "Censored" noises?

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Besides can you honestly picture Aya Hirano making those "Censored" noises?

Aya Hirano making those "Censored" noises is one thing. Nana Mizuki making those noises, that's where the good stuff is really at.

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In the eternal service of Her Most Holy God-Empress, Suzumiya Haruhi and Primarch Fate Testarossa Harlaown of the Blood Angels Legion.
~~~~~
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Rightousness is our Shield, Faith our armour and Hatred our weapon.
Aye, we are indeed the Angels of Death.
~~~~~
Blog featuring anime, manga, seiyuus, tabletop wargames (WH40K) and everything in between: http://nk-ds.org/

I'm up to episode 4, I've still got a bit of a love/hate relationship going on with White Album. There's three characters I like so far, so that part's promising. I think that Touya is an idiot, but I don't hate him, so so far so good. What's getting to me is that the direction is still more artsy-fartsy than is really suitable for a relatively straightforward show like this. It makes watching the show require far more effort than it has to, and I find that that really detracts from the experience. I find that I end up being irritated by certain scenes rather than being amused by them. I also find Hirano Aya's performance to be fairly weak (admittedly it can be Yuki's characterization as well), but that's a much lesser issue. Right now, I'm still leaning fairly strongly on the love side, but I've still got some niggling doubts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorrow-K

Well the relationship with Yuki was the one I was talking about more than the others, and the anime has taken great pains to show that it's pretty much on its last legs. Even if, for whatever reason, they do want to be with each other, if the only thing that's keeping them together is their past then they won't last.

I get a bit of that feeling as well. The two seem so self-absorbed that they do a lot of talking past each other rather than to each other. They've apparently known each other for a very long time, but they're still almost strangers. Heck, they didn't even know where the other lived. It smacks of a very dysfunctional relationship that's perhaps propped up by being apart more than anything else.

Then again, I'm not too displeased by this arrangement since it's a ripe recipe for drama. Hopefully, it'll lead to stuff hitting the fan very soon since a single cour isn't all that much time, and there's certainly no way for White Album to continue it's course without stuff hitting the fan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DingoEnderZOE2

Besides can you honestly picture Aya Hirano making those "Censored" noises?

I'd rather not. Her Yuki is anything but sexy.

__________________

The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won...

Yes, Yuki is moe, not sexy. I can well understand lots of people not liking Hirano's take on this, for various reasons (her not very natural style, the high voice, the moe not sexy aspect), but I'm coming to like it more and more as we go on. The strength-in-fragility aspect is pretty amazing. I know I'm biased, but I am also quite ready to abandon Hirano performances I don't like (Zettai Karen and Himawari). This show may be where she actually gets the most out of this high voice, which she introduced in Hyakko and Akasaka.

I'm more positive about this show than either Sorrow-K or 4tran appear to be, but their posts have been extremely interesting. Yuki and Touya do seem to be a wonderful combination of (1) thinking themselves deeply in love and (2) not really communicating and now drifting apart.

I like the complexity myself, but there is something in 4tran's idea of the presentation being more complex than the story warrants. We shall see. So far, the presentation is what's giving the story interest, for me.

This is probably related to Sorrow's complaint that we aren't getting close to the characters. I agree that we haven't been put in close sympathy with any character yet. On the other hand, this show is giving me the physical emotional reactions that I want from good drama, so it must be doing something right in that regard.

As for Hirano doing an ero-game, my first response is "in your dreams." Her image does not permit it. On the other hand, she clearly likes punkish music and may have a wilder private life than she lets on, so she may well have less personal opposition to that stuff than one might think.

And makubeX2, as a total aside, I read that Hayami Saori and Princess Mako may both be freshmen at the same college next spring (Gakushuin Women's College). I still remember your old avatar, lol, and my now-dashed hopes that Mako-sama might become empress.

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Kimura Juri木村珠莉 Joined Tokyo Voice Actors' Co-op in 2011, did voice-overs for corporate presentations. Anime bit parts 2013-14. Stars in Shirobako as Miyamori, will star in Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku (spring). Enjoys music, looking at Buddha images, reading. Used to work at a bookstore. Says she is a maudlin drunk. Age unknown.Hashihime blog | Twitter@nakanokimi |

Wow wasn't expecting that from Yayoi looks like she gave him the push to put down Yuki. Yayoi offering herself is going a bit far she must be the one who is lonely

No, Touya's thoughts explain that Yayoi's lips are devoid of heat, like kissing a doll.

This clearly indicates that Yayoi isn't human. I believe she's android sent back in time to 1986 by rebels of the future, in order to stop Touya from marrying Yuki and producing a child that becomes the first in a dynasty of evil world conquering emperors who enslave us all. Yayoi's sexual sacrifice is noble and must be rewarded at the end of the show, somehow. Don't hate what you don't understand, my friend.

No, Touya's thoughts explain that Yayoi's lips are devoid of heat, like kissing a doll.

This clearly indicates that Yayoi isn't human. I believe she's android sent back in time to 1986 by rebels of the future, in order to stop Touya from marrying Yuki and producing a child that becomes the first in a dynasty of evil world conquering emperors who enslave us all. Yayoi's sexual sacrifice is noble and must be rewarded at the end of the show, somehow. Don't hate what you don't understand, my friend.

Guess his relationship with Yuki can't be that strong. Touya is being a typical male in keeping his many options open . The only girl that seems to get rejected by him is Haruka who might be waiting for him to let his guard down after Yuki tramples his heart

I like the complexity myself, but there is something in 4tran's idea of the presentation being more complex than the story warrants. We shall see. So far, the presentation is what's giving the story interest, for me.

You know what, I like complexity and artsy-fartsy as well; but I think that there's a time and a place for it. My basic question is "what do these extra flourishes contribute to the experience?" In the case of the well-made surreal works, the answer is self-evident, and the show wouldn't be complete without them. In the case of more straightforward shows, I feel that these touches end up being more of a burden instead; taking away from the narrative rather than contributing to it. Most of these extra bits of direction are used to spice things up rather than as an integral component of the show. Tsukiyomi Moonphase as a show right in the middle; where the surreal stuff isn't really necessary, but the story doesn't suffer for it either. I find that a lot of SHAFT shows are in the wrong end.

One big area where White Album can see some improvement is to make better use of non-verbal communication. This can be seen to great effect in episode 3 where some scenes cut out the internal monologue text and just concentrated on expressions and reactions and context to provide meaning. I thought those scenes were a lot more potent than the ones in the same episode which did use the text. I can see some point in monologues where the ideas expressed are complex, but it just seems like a lot of busy work in this show.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Yes, Yuki is moe, not sexy. I can well understand lots of people not liking Hirano's take on this, for various reasons (her not very natural style, the high voice, the moe not sexy aspect), but I'm coming to like it more and more as we go on. The strength-in-fragility aspect is pretty amazing. I know I'm biased, but I am also quite ready to abandon Hirano performances I don't like (Zettai Karen and Himawari). This show may be where she actually gets the most out of this high voice, which she introduced in Hyakko and Akasaka.

The ironic thing is that I thought that she did a decent job in Hyakko; albeit she (and almost the entire cast to boot) was overshadowed by Orikasa Fumiko. It's what she did in Akane-iro and this show that get to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

As for Hirano doing an ero-game, my first response is "in your dreams." Her image does not permit it. On the other hand, she clearly likes punkish music and may have a wilder private life than she lets on, so she may well have less personal opposition to that stuff than one might think.

Heh. There's probably no faster route to career-death other than pulling a Miyamura Yuka or Tange Sakura.

__________________

The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won...

All of the actions that occurred in this episode were nice and all, but none of them stack up to one scene:

The hidden door.

I spent DAYS thinking about that hallway, trying to figure out where in the hell Eiji popped out of. But a hidden door? I did NOT see that coming. I swear I watched the scene twice. I was so busy laughing I had to see it again. That's just messed up.

Besides that, White Album seems to constantly pull the next episode card out. They always end with a cliffhanger of some kind. Did they have sex?! Find out in the next episode! Will he save Masaki or sleep with his girlfriend?! Find out in the next episode! I'm curious to see what Rina wants.

... And that manager chick is a strange woman. I hope she's trying to seduce him. If she actually developed feelings for the poor kid, I don't know what I'd think. Tell you what though, that taxi driver must have been pretty pissed with jealousy. If I saw that, I know I would be.

I spent DAYS thinking about that hallway, trying to figure out where in the hell Eiji popped out of. But a hidden door? I did NOT see that coming. I swear I watched the scene twice. I was so busy laughing I had to see it again. That's just messed up.

Load up ep 3, fast forward to the scene where Rina comes into Echoes, then listen closely to the sounds when she runs into that hallway. Compare it to the sounds made when Touya investigates. Then check ep 5.

WTF ! Yuki's co-worker or manager whatever ! What the hell did she doing !
She's like a bitXX ! And Fujii get out with her in cinema and in restaurant ..... She kiss him !
Well , he was an idiot to come with her .
It becomes more complicated now .
Poor Misaki ! but what did he say the bastard "compared to what you have done to me" ?
Haruka , Misaki , Yuki , Rina , Yuki's manager ...... wow ....
Hope it didn't turn like School Days